Norris elmoee clark



N. E CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.1.191I.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT S. ALLYN', TRUSTEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXPANDED-METAL MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Original application filed February 15, 1915, Serial No. 8,354. Divided and this application filed March 7, 1917. Serial No. 153,151.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Plainville, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Ex anded-Metal Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a machine for carrying out part of the method of my Patent #1,224,104 of April 24, 1917, and for making a product such as illustrated in my Patent #1,128,659, and this application is a division from Patent #1324104.

Briefly considered, the invention contemplates means for forming unslitted strips into ribs and at the same time opening the slitted portions of the stock in the oppositely inclined mesh work section having what has become known as reverse-lay of strands.

The stock is preferably slitted as illustrated in my Patent #979,130, but it will be understood that I consider other arrangements of slitting may be employed, for instance, as shown in my Patent #1,086,027.

Figure 1 is an end view showing the slitted stock and mechanism for bending or folding the unslitted portions, and opening the mesh work with the strands on opposite sides of the center of each slitted section inclined edgewise in opposite directions. The mechanism and stock are shown in full lines in the position before operation, and in dotted lines in the position in which the ribs are partially formed and the stock is partially open.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in position with the ribs completely formed and the mesh work spread into a common plane.

The stock may be first slitted. for instance, by means of cutters as shown in my Patent #1146554. This forms slitted sections 5-5 leaving broad unslitted strips 6-6 connected by narrow bendable strands 7-7 and with intermediate central strips 8.

Jaws such as 10-10 are hinged or pivoted together at 11 to vertically movable slides 12. These jaws and slides are nor.

mally held pressed upward by springs 13 and the jaws normally lie open as shown in Fig. 1 supported above the cam faces 14=-14. Each pair of jaws is shaped on its interior to correspond with the desired external shape of the rib to be formed at 6, and above each pair of jaws is located a vertically movable punch member 15 preferably having the shape of the interior of the rib to be formed. Midway between the deep rib punches 15 is a relatively movable punch 16 adapted to engage the center of the slitted section. This punch is preferably grooved on its lower face and pressed downward by a spring 17. Below the punch 16 is preferably located a die 18 shaped at its upper end so as to co-act with the groove in the lower end of the punch 16 to longitudinally corrugate or bend the strip 8 to form a rib 8'.

In operation. a slitted sheet is inserted between the upper and lower dies, and the upper dies are moved downwardly. The

' dies 15-15 engage the centers of the broad unslitted strips and force them into the corresponding pairs of folding jaws. The edges of the jaws support the edges of the unslitted strips as the centers of the strips are moved downwardly. The continued downward movement of the dies 15-15 forces the jaw carriers downward and thus causes the jaws to be folded toward each other. This rib forming action folds the edges of the unslitted strips upward toward the sides of the dies 15-15, thus opening the slitted stock into mesh work between the dies. The folding carries the edges of the unslitted strips upwardly out of their original plane relative to the central strips 8 and brings the edges of the ribs and the strands on edge relative to the original plane of the stock. the inclination of the edges of the ribs corresponding to the inclination of the strands attached thereto. The opposite sides of each rib are inclined in opposite directions. and similarly the strands between adjacent ribs are inclined edgewise in opposite directions on opposite sides of the center of the mesh work section. This relative angular relation permits the bending action of the ribs and strands to take place with a minimum application of force and a minimum strain in the fabric.

The central punch member or die 16 holds downward the center of the slitted section and thus facilitates the uniform turning of the strands on edge in opposite directions on opposite sides thereof. By shaping the dies 16 and 18 as shown, it is possible to fold or groove the strips 8 as. shown in Fig. 2 at 8'. This draws the sides of the central unslitted strip so that they are substantially parallel with the edgewise inclination of the strands attached thereto. are allowed to bend in a natural manner without being strained. The central strips 8 of the expanded sections may be carried into the same plane with theedges of the deep ribs 6 by a proper proportional movement of the deep rib dies and the central engaging dies. This is facilitated by having the dies 16 spring-pressed and it may be desirable also to move the dies 18 upwardly. Although the hinged jaws 10 are shown below the members 15, it will be obvious that the construction might be used with the parts inverted.

When the stock is slitted along diagonal lines as shown in my Patent #979,130, it is desirable to move the center of each slitted section longitudinally relative to the margins. This, may be accomplished by moving the dies 16 and 18 longitudinally in the manner described for moving the die members 55 in my Patent #1,104.477.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the deep ribs may be given any desired cross sectional shape by suitably forming the jaws 10 and punches 15.

What I claim.is: 4

1. In an expanded metal machine, a plurality of pairs of exterior hinged rib forming members, sliding supports therefor, interior rib forming members movable to cooperate with said hinged members to move the same, cams for engaging said exterior forming members to cause them to fold together to bend the ribs, and intermediate holding members between adjacent pairs of the exterior hinged rib forming members.

2. In an expanded metal machine, means for engaging the centers of relatively broad unslitted strips of a partially slitted sheet, means for engaging the edges of said strips, one of said means being movable perpendicular to the plane of the stock and relative to the other means, means, for. carrying said edge-engaging means toward each other upon the interposed center-engaging means for folding the strips into deep ribs and means for holding the center of a slitted section as the edges of the strips aremoved out of the plane of said center,

In this way the strands exterior rib forming means, interior rib forming means, one of said rib formin means being movable relatively to the other, said folding members coacting with said abutments as the interior rib forming means coact with said folding members to fold the ribs and open the slitted section of a partially slitted sheet, and means for holding the slitted stock at opposite sides of the rib forming means.

5. In a machine for expanding partially slitted sheets, means for holding the centers of slitted sections, means for folding unslitted strips to form ribs and thereby draw the edges of the slitted sections out of the planeof the centers of the slitted sections and open the slitted sections into mesh-work having oppositely disposed lay of strands on o posite sides of the centers.

6; n an expanded metal machine, means for supporting the edges of relatively broad unslitted strips of a partially slitted sheet, means for moving the center of the slitted section out of the plane of said edges and means for folding said edges out of the plane of said center and then back again into said plane to form ribs and open the slitted section.

7. In an expanded metal machine, supports for the centers of slitted sections, means for holding the centers of unslitted portions and simultaneously carrying the edges of the unslitted portions out of the plane of the centers form ribs and for subsequently bringing the centers of the slitted sections and the bases of the folded ribs into the same plane.

In an expanded metal machine, pairsof stationary cam-faces, plungers mounted to move between the cam faces of each pair, folding exterior rib forming members pivoted on a common center and mounted to move between said cam faces and interior rib forming members adapted to coact with said folding members.

9. In an expanded metal machine, a pair of spring supported exterior rib forming jaws pivoted on a common center and a vertically movable interior rib forming punch mounted to cooperate with each pair of of the slitted sections to jaws and'to force them toward each other common center and having gripping faces as the punch descends between them to 'form movable downward and toward each other ribs. and interior punch members adapted to 10. In an expanded metal machine, it force rib stock down between the jaws of 10 a series of pairs of inclined exterior rib formeach pair sinmltzmeously to form ribs.

ing jaws pivoted at their lower edges on a -.llORRIS ELMORE CLARK. 

